Water Powered Flashlight (v2)

About: Hi I'm Angelo! I am a college student taking my engineering majors in BS-EE/ BS-ECE at the DLSU. I use my course as an inspiration for making my current projects! I've been posting projects here ever since I...
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Batteries are too mainstream, let's make Water Powered ones! This is my newer version of my previous flashlight project, this time we are using pennies (literally)! The flashlight works by using water as its electrolytes.

Getting Some Inspiration From My Vacation:

I spent a third of my summer hopping on the pristine islands of Palawan. We wake-up early everyday (4:30am). We rented a boat for the tour and one thing that I've noticed, the boatman used a flashlight to prepare the boat every morning, same for the fishermen who wakes-up early. I stared at the sea for quite some time and I remembered, these men can power their flashlights using the saltwater around them.

Is It Really Powered By Water?

Th internet currently has beer batteries, lemon batteries, potato batteries and water batteries. All of these batteries are powered by the same thing - the Redox reaction between copper and zinc or aluminum. The fluid (or potato) is just the electrolyte, and any solution with dissolved ions - which is basically any solution in water at all - will serve as an electrolyte. Some chemists will react bad to this title, some aren't bothered at all. Let's just call it the galvanic battery from now on.

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The project is under documentation, probably done by tomorrow. I rushed it for the Green Design contest.

Supplies:

Step 1: Parts & Materials

Common Household Parts:

- A Sheet Of Aluminum Foil

- Wet Wipes (Tissue Paper)

- 10 American Pennies

- Hook-up Wire

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Electronic Parts (for Joule Thief):

- 2N3904 General Purpose NPN Transistor

- Toroidal Core (from old CFL bulbs)

- 1k Ohm Resistor (¼W)

- Four 5mm White LEDs

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Tools & Equipment:

- Leatherman Multitool

- 30W Soldering Iron

- Digital Multmeter

- Hot Glue Gun

Step 2: Cut Round Traces of Aluminum Foil

For homemade batteries, aluminum and zinc works as a good cathode. On my last project (the v1), we used a zinc strip, it was a bad idea to use it since not all hobbyists has them. Aluminum is the best alternative, every one has them at home, problem solved! :)

Step 3: Cut a Bath of Wet Wipes (Tissue Paper)

Ok, first it's time do decide whether I should use regular tissue paper or wet-wipes. What's the difference? Well tissue paper tears easily and becomes mushy when it gets wet. Wet-wipes on the other hand is made to withstand tearing, it's almost like a cloth. I say choose wet-wipes!

Done deciding? Find a sharp pair of shears, the Leatherman's scissor is sharp enough, then cut multiple traces of wet-wipes. Use the coin as your guideline.

Step 4: Stack Two Plies of Tissue Paper

Please follow the pattern correctly, otherwise the project would not work. I stacked two plies of wet-wipes on top of my penny. Why two? It will hold more water.

Step 5: Next, Stack a Sheet of Foil

Now, stack the aluminum foil on top of the tissue paper.

Step 6: Repeat Until You 10 Cells

Repeat this process until you have created 10 of these cells.

Step 7: Glue the Cells Together

I glued my 10 cell galvanic battery to prevent the cells from separation.

Please help I want to make a bigger project like this . Like a 5W led powered by water or solar energy . I have to help my poor neighbours as they don't have an electric connection. E-mail me at sahibjot692@gmail.com

IF I try 25 centavos from Philippines ... could it be work?? please reply .. I used this as our project for saving environment in our science fair.. I know that this is not my invention so? I get your idea So thank you :D

I tried mine with Philippine 10-centavo coins and the order goes like this: coin, wet wipes (tissue) and aluminum, coin, wet wipes, aluminum. In the voltaic pile, Alesandro Volta designed the battery like this.

your battery must be shorting , if the electrolytes mix from the 10cells it will work as a single battery and also if you didn't do it right voltage will further be reduced (battery emf reduces when anode-anode or cathode-cathode is connected)